Tent eave pole construction



July 7, 1959 TENT EAVE POLE CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 10, 1956 FIG-2b NORMAN E. 5120/ v INVENTOR. F|G.3a FIG-.3b By ATTORN E Y N. E. BIRCH 2,893,411 7 United States Patent 2,893,411 TENT EAVE POLE CONSTRUCTION Norman Edward Birch, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, assignor to Calgary Tent & Awning Ltd., Calgary, Alberta, Canada Application December 10, 1956, Serial No. 627,317 1 Claim. (Cl. 135-45) This invention relates to tents, and more particularly to an improved form of tent eave pole construction.

The invention relates particularly to tents of the socalled bungalow type tent which comprises an upright centre pole, and a four-sided stretcher frame or eave pole construction adapted in cooperation to form and support the canvas.

In this type of construction, the stretcher frame is formed of four interlocking eave poles which frame is supported in a horizontal plane by the central pole. This type of tent has enjoyed popularity because of the facility of erectionthe eave poles need merely be assembled in interlocking relationship, thus forming the upper portion of the canvas, the central pole is then raised, and the canvas is pegged to the ground.

In the construction of eave poles for these tents, it has been common usage to provide a short metal band in the form of a loop over one end of each pole, and to cut out the other end of the pole substantially along a diameter, to form a half-round section adapted to fit into the loop on the interlocking pole. This conventional construction is shown in Figures 3A and 3B. This construction offers several notable disadvantages.

(l) The metal bands are liable to become damaged, distorted, or even torn oif in packing and carrying.

(2) The construction is relatively complicated and correspondingly diiiicult to manufacture and expensive.

(3) Precise orientation of the cut end with respect to the loop end is required for engagement. This can become difiicult if the tent is wet, or is erected in the dark.

(4) It is necessary to stretch one pole beyond its normal engaged position with the other, in order to allow it to engage the other pole.

(5) If the pole becomes damaged in transit, erection or use, it may not be readily replaced in an emergency with tools and materials usually found on a camping trip.

It is a principal object of this invention therefore to provide a tent eave pole construction of sturdy, simple and inexpensive design which will permit of easy erection of the tent.

It is a further object of the invention to provide such a construction as may be readily repaired or replaced in an emergency without the necessity of extensive materials or tools.

These and other advantageous objects will become apparent through a consideration of the following detailed .description taken in conjunction with the attached drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a its assembled form;

Figure 2A and Figure 2B illustrate opposite ends of two eave poles constructed according to the manner of this invention and adapted to interlock with each other; and

Figure 3A and Figure 3B show the interlocking portions of conventional eave poles already described.

The invention consists broadly in the provision of a metal pin on one end of each eave pole together with a slot of slightly greater width than the diameter of the pin formed in the other end of the cave pole and adapted to receive the pin of the adjoining pole in interlocking relationship.

In greater detail, and referring now to the drawings,

palmetto tent in 1 indicates generally a tent of the palmetto type having canvas walls 2 formed by four interlocking eave poles 3, 3a and two other poles not visible in the drawings and centre pole 4.

As will be seen with reference to Figures 2A and 2B, each eave pole is formed with a metal pin 5 inserted in one end thereof and extending longitudinally of the pole. A slot 6 is provided in the other end of each pole, the width of the slot being slightly greater than the diameter of the pin so that the pin may be inserted into the slot and the two poles maintained in mutually perpendicular relationship.

This form of construction is simple, inexpensive and provides a greater facility of erection than has heretofore been the case.

It will be appreciated that the cave poles fit into canvas pockets formed in the canvas on the outside of the tent, and that to assemble the tent, the poles are inserted into these pockets and stretched to come into interlocking engagement in the mutually horizontal position shown in Figure 1.

It has already been pointed out that to interlock the conventional poles exemplified by Figures 3A and 3B it is necessary first to orient the cut-out portion precisely with the metal hoop so as to interengage the two, and second to stretch one pole beyond the other to permit this engagement to take place. In the form of construction which forms this invention, the metal pin need merely be pushed into the slot without the necessity of forcing the pin over the end of the slot which could result in over-stretching of the canvas. In addition only one pole, i.e. that with the slot, need be oriented as against the precise orientation of both poles required by the former construction.

According to the preferred embodiment of this invention, moreover, the poles are wood instead of metal as is commonly the case in the prior art.

The construction of this invention and the fact that wood poles are preferably employed also form major contributions to the matter of replacement under emergency conditions. If a pole becomes lost or damaged in use, it is only necessary to cut down a small tree or bush and fashion a substitute pole by driving a nail in one end, and cutting a slot with a knife in the other. The former construction is not easily duplicated in the field.

The invention has been described with reference to constructional details of preferred embodiments. It is to be understood that such details are oifered by way of illustration only, and not as limitations.

Such embodiments of the invention as come within the scope and purview of the appended claim are to be considered as part of this invention.

What I claim as my invention is:

In a tent of the class described a plurality of substantially identical co-operating wooden eave poles adapted to be joined end to end to form a tent frame, each pole having a headless pin of smooth round surface projecting longitudinally from one end thereof and a substantially rectangular longitudinal slot of slightly greater width than the diameter of the pin and of sufficient depth to receive the pin in the outer end thereof, said slot being adapted to receive the pin of the adjoining pole in rotatable interlocking relationshi the tent material retaining the frame together in its interlocked position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 761,582 Cobaugh May 31, 1904 1,542,184 Stoll June 16, 1925 1,669,778 Procter May 15, 1928 1,691,411 Roth et al. Nov. 13, 1928 

